I've dedicated my whole life to working on reducing the burden of heart disease and stroke in our communities. I worked for years as a cardiovascular disease epidemiologist; I have volunteered in many ways for AHA - and now, I am the VP for Community Impact in Washington!
I would like you to join me today in donating to AHA is because research, education, and policies supported by AHA saved my life many years ago. In September 2008, when I was just 37 years old, I survived a sudden cardiac arrest. Though I had been diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy several years before, we still don't know why heart stopped that particular day. But I survived because teachers nearby had learned and did CPR - the result of AHA research and training. Paramedics came within minutes and shocked my heart back into rhythm - emergency systems and technology that AHA has helped support and develop for decades. And my cognitive function was preserved because of a cooling procedure that was the result of medical research that AHA helped support.
This year, I've made a commitment to raise $5,000. Please join me and make a donation to support the AHA - together we are helping save lives!
- Al